FINCHforum

There is a nest of starlings in my bbq grill. It's been fun watching the parents raise them from a distance. Well, today I just happened to be walking by and noticed something odd about the grill. It had MILLIONS of mites crawling all over it! So here are my questions: is there something I can do to get rid of the mites without upsetting the parents of the starlings? Are the chicks in danger from all these mites? What about those anti-mite things at the pet store? Would they work in this situation? And then my scariest question, if the bbq is close to the house does this mean my house (and zebra finches) might be infested with mites? I had a young adult finch die suddenly yesterday and I'm wondering if it might be related. Thanks for your help.

Get rid of those mites now...they can spread to your birds quickly and can kill if heavily infested.Sprays etc.are available at your pet shop or through the Lady Gouldian site (link) Catch up and examine your birds, especially under the wings for any signs.
It's important to keep pet birds away from wild birds as mites are common in the wild.
Read the link for more information.

http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/features_dracula.mgi

Paul.